Shafaqna English– A group of researchers from Chile has created the most detailed genetic map ever made of one of only two flowering plants found naturally in Antarctica. This could help in developing crops that can survive extreme weather conditions.
Colobanthus quitensis has long been of interest to scientists because it can survive in Antarctica’s freezing cold, low water, and strong UV radiation—making it one of the toughest plants on Earth.
The team says that as heatwaves and droughts become more common, they can now start testing whether the genetic strengths of this Antarctic plant could be given to other crops using modern gene-editing methods.
The research was published in the journal “Genome Biology and Evolution” by Oxford University Press. Under a project named Polarix, the team assembled all 40 chromosome-scale parts of the plant’s genetic blueprint.
Source: Reuters